Do you believe in Satan? (with poll)

[The Last Conformist]

How exactly do you worship something that you don't think exists?

Well, ask them, not me.

Anyway, LeVayite Satanists, as I understand it, carry out various rituals to Satan's glory, but claim not to believe in his actual existence, only in ideals he personificates.

 

[WillJ]

I actually change my vote, as I forgot about this guy:

Anyway, LeVayite Satanists, as I understand it, carry out various rituals to Satan's glory, but claim not to believe in his actual existence, only in ideals he personificates.

I see... Do you know what those ideals would be?

 

[FredLC]

No! Everything he ever told me was a lie!

 

[Amenhotep7]

Note: I voted YES, meaning that I do NOT worship him, but I DO know that he exists. DO NOT TAKE THAT THE WRONG WAY! Bloody hell...

 

[The Last Conformist]

I see... Do you know what those ideals would be?

Basically, a hedonistic version of ethical egoism, IIUC.

I'm certainly no expert on Satanism, of LaVey's brand or any other. Google or Wikipedia might be helpful.

 

[Keirador]

I'm VERY surprised by how this poll is going, especially in lieu of how very many Christians voted in the Religion poll. Shouldn't a vast majority of the Christians believe in Satan?

 

[The Last Conformist]

One'd think so, but from my personal experience of Christians, very many don't.

 

[Zwelgje]

No.
For the same reasons I don't believe in Santa.

 

[The Last Conformist]

He didn't get catch in the intra-chimney Santa trap?

 

[Zwelgje]

That's the first.

Reasons
So what's the other. (think more serious)

 

[Yom]

Absolutely amazing! More people believe in Santa than Satan! Both are unrealistic if you ask me, but Santa is by far the more ludicrous story. Even taking into account those who voted "yes" in the Santa thread just to not disappoint Fox, the fact that so many people are willing to spread a lie (one that is not helpful, even) is astounding.

 

[Zwelgje]

Both are lies, created to stop people from doing bad things and pushing them into doing good.
Santa: if you do bad stuff, you're not gonna get candy.
Satan: if you do bad stuff, you're going to Satan when you die.

 

[LLXerxes]

Satan and the whole concept of hell are to scare people into other religions.
so no, i don't.

 

[WillJ]

Satan and the whole concept of hell are to scare people into other religions.

Don't you mean "scare people into sticking with Christianity"?

Edit:

Basically, a hedonistic version of ethical egoism, IIUC.

Well, when I think of hedonism and egoism, I don't exactly think of Satan, but whatever.

 

[FriendlyFire]

OMG

satan and santa
Theres some weird connection here....................

 

[Norlamand]

Of course I believe in him. Who else would lawyers worship?

 

[The Last Conformist]

Mammon, I'd thought.

 

[Yom]

Satan and the whole concept of hell are to scare people into other religions.
so no, i don't.

Yet, you believe in Santa Clause?

 

[cgannon64]

Not really. All the talk about angels and battles in Heaven makes good mythology, but nothing else. And the talk about Satan's rebellion against Heaven is a good analogy for man's rebellion against God.

But do I beleive there is a being out there, who is either the source of evil or the current primary source of it? No. If evil exists, which I do not beleive it does in the normal sense (as some dualist antithesis to good), it is man's tendency to sin, and you do not need a godlike diety to explain that.

 

[Mojotronica]

I think that the concept of Satan as "other," external to each of us, is a huge problem for Christianity. It separates the sinner from his or her sin, and provides a crutch with which one can justify one's own abominable behavior.

One might say, "the devil made me do it" and truly believe that some external force acted upon him or her.

It might be handy as a parable for understanding the actions of others and thereby finding it easier to forgive them for their failings -- but because others are by definition external to us in practice we persecute the sinner just as vigorously while forgiving ourselves more easily.

That's the opposite of how it should be, so Satan is just not a very useful device for understanding morality.